Jun 25, 2013 Awake in Dream Time - Journal Entries about the almost real, the surreal and the unreal, Awake in Real Time: Coffee-induced Meditations and Journal Entries, Kitchen Table Anecdotes, Teaching and Learning

Cross-posted on FB as well:

Up all night last night (Sunday night), grading the last of my 3rd Trimester papers (grades due on Wednesday). 4:00 a.m., I notice a male figure clad in jeans moving in the darkness of my living room (I was in our library, which has a window into our living room).

I call out, “W, what are you doing downstairs at such an early hour? W? W!” Figure moves away. I rush into the room in a panic. The side sliding door to our deck is open, and the wind is blowing the curtains. My heart stops. I scream. Poke my head out. No one there. Quickly lock the door. Rush upstairs. Check on daughter. Fast asleep. Check on husband. Fast asleep. Wake up husband. He jumps up in a sleep-startled panic, hears my story, goes outside, checks all around the house. No one. Says words to the effect of, “Well, there’s no one. Nothing missing. Why call the police now? I want to go to bed.”

I was and had been very much awake the whole time, and state this fact. Besides, I add, the sliding door to the deck was open, and we know for a fact that it was shut the previous night (I had been very diligent about locking back door and front door, but hadn’t thought that W had left the side door unlocked). That, and the basement door are the only ways in which the intruder would have come in, and left.

Nothing was taken. Meanwhile, I continue to grade papers. Then, I begin a large meal to take to school to feed my “Green Team” kids — today was our last meeting, and I’d promised a freshly cooked meal! Got to school very early to boot.

So, Wonder-Woman stays up all night, frightens away an intruder with HER fright, cooks Indian-ish food for fourteen or so students, grades papers, administers two Final Exams for the last two classes, feeds students, cleans up classroom, does some clerical tasks, and comes home, then feeds family with aforementioned food (leftovers).

A stranger comes into the house in the darkness of pre-dawn. I’ve been on adrenaline all day — returned all the papers to the last of my classes. All seems well. My heart is uneasy.

A stranger comes into the house in the darkness of pre-dawn. I cannot shake off the dread and terror. I plan to put my child in our room tonight.

W suggested I let the police know today. I planned to, anyway. It seems to me that the neighborhood should be on the alert and on the lookout for this shadow person.

Sorry to unload. Had to.  A stranger came into my house in the darkness of pre-dawn.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The End ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tags: cooking Indian food for teenage students, fright, grading, intruder alert